Caught In The Middle
by dawn341
Summary: First season story. Tessa and Richie are fighting, leaving Duncan caught in the middle.


Caught In The Middle by Dawn Cunningham

Disclaimers:

Duncan, Richie, and Tessa belong to Rysher. I'm just borrowing them and not getting paid for it. Most other characters are my own.

Do not post or publish this story anywhere else, without my express permission. Feel free to share it with others as long as the disclaimers remain intact.

* HL * HL * HL * HL

Caught In The Middle by Dawn Cunningham

Duncan looked up from his morning newspaper and coffee as Richie stumbled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed. "Late night last night?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Richie mumbled as he collapsed into a chair.

"You've got to stop burning the candle at both ends, Richie," Duncan said, his smile changing to a frown. "Maybe you should cut back on some of your dates. You've been out every night for the past two weeks."

"I've always managed to get the shop open every morning on time," Richie replied hotly.

"I know you have and I'm not complaining about that. But you can't keep up this pace-you'll end up exhausted and probably ill, as well."

"I'll cut back, Mac, I promise," Richie said.

"Good. Maybe you should try going for quality instead of quantity," Duncan suggested, grin back in place.

"Very funny. Ha ha," Richie sniped back as he stood up and fetched the orange juice from the refrigerator. He carried it over to the counter and poured himself a glass, sipping from it as he toasted bagels for his breakfast. He finally returned to the table with his food.

Duncan turned back to his newspaper and resumed his scan of the auctions going on in the area. He had just spotted an interesting one when Tessa came into the kitchen from her workroom. "Tessa, do you and Richie think you can handle the shop today? There's an auction I want to go to."

"Wait a minute," Richie spoke up quickly. "You promised me the day off!"

"That's right, I forgot, Richie. Well, Tessa, I guess it's up to you."

"Yes, I can handle the shop on my own. I can't work on my latest project until I get my delivery of marble, anyway. They should be bringing it sometime today. I can't believe they only deliver once a week!"

"I could help out this morning," Richie suggested. "As long as I'm out of here by 1:00, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Another hot date?" Duncan questioned.

"No, I just promised someone I'd... I'd be there to... help. I can't let them down," Richie replied. "So, what's going to be at the auction that you want to buy?"

Duncan recognized the teenager was trying to change the subject, but didn't know why. He would have to keep an eye on Richie to make sure he wasn't in some kind of trouble. Following the youth's lead, he launched into a description of the auction listing.

* HL * HL

Richie couldn't believe how slowly the day was going. When he'd volunteered to help out in the shop for the morning, he'd assumed it would keep his mind off his upcoming ordeal. Even when there had been lots of customers, a part of his mind had kept fretting about it.

He had just grabbed a cloth to remove some fingerprints from one of the glass cabinets when Tessa came flying into the store.

"Richie, I have to go out, so you'll have to watch the store for the rest of today. When that shipment of marble arrives, just have them put it in my workroom."

"Tessa, I can't work this afternoon! Remember? I have plans," he protested.

"You'll have to change them," Tessa said as she hurried back through the office. "This is important."

She was gone before Richie had time to say his plans were important, too. He glanced at the clock-only two hours to go before he had to leave. Hopefully, Tessa's shipment would show up before then. Otherwise, he didn't know what he would do.

As 1:00 came closer, Richie started pacing around the shop, arguing with himself. He waited until the last possible minute before locking the front door and putting the closed sign in the window. He had to go-this was just too important not to.

* HL * HL

Richie dragged himself home just before five, feeling totally wiped out as well as depressed. It hadn't gone as well as he'd thought it would-at least he didn't think so. Now he could only wait until he got the results. It was going to be a long week.

As he turned his bike down the alley towards the back door of the shop, he could see Tessa getting out of her car. For a moment, he debated turning back around and disappearing for a while, but he knew that would only delay things. He took a deep breath and prepared for the worst.

"Richie, there you are," Tessa greeted him as he walked in the door. "Where did you have them put that shipment of marble?"

"It didn't get here in time," Richie explained. "I waited as long as I could, but I finally had to leave."

Tessa turned a furious face towards him. "Do you mean to tell me that you took off *before* my shipment got here?"

"I had to, Tessa! I told you I had plans!" Richie protested.

"Do you have any idea what you've done? I needed that marble to finish a commission for the mayor. Now I'll have to wait another week for it. I'll never make my deadline! I might as well write off doing any more sculptures for the city-he'll think I'm unreliable! What could have been so important that you couldn't reschedule it?"

Richie debated whether he should tell her, but finally decided he wouldn't until he found out the results. "It's none of your business," he mumbled.

"If it was so important, why can't you tell me? Hmmmm? You probably had a hot date and are too ashamed to admit it. I've come to expect more from you, Richie," Tessa said, a disappointed look on her face.

"I'm not your slave!" Richie retorted. "I have a right to time off, too! If your commission was so important, you should have been here-not me! Why should I have to change my plans just because you decide to run off at the last minute?"

"I 'ran off' at the last minute because the owner of a local gallery wanted to meet with me to discuss having my own show," Tessa replied. "You have no idea how important this could be to my career. That's why I asked you to stay here and wait for my delivery."

"No, you didn't *ask*," Richie responded in a cold voice. "You told me to. There's a difference. And I'm not an idiot-I know what it means for you to have your own show. I can't believe it took you almost seven hours to finalize your deal with the art gallery!"

Tessa's eyes narrowed in anger. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Maybe you should have tried to get home sooner. Or tried to get the art gallery owner to come here instead. You shouldn't have expected me to take care of your schedule conflicts."

"Sometimes you can be so selfish!" Tessa exclaimed.

Richie couldn't believe she was accusing him of being selfish! He'd given up his morning to help out, hadn't he? Without another word, he spun around and headed for the back door. As he stormed through it, he practically crashed into Duncan.

"What's wrong, Richie?" the Scot asked as he steadied the teenager.

"Nothing! I'm just being my usual selfish self," Richie retorted, pulling away. He didn't wait for a reply, just headed for his bike. A moment later, he roared out of the alley, unsure of his destination. He just needed some time to think.

* HL * HL

Duncan watched the receding figure for a moment before heading inside. He found Tessa in her workshop, muttering to herself in French.

"What's going on, Tessa?" he asked. "What's wrong with Richie?"

"He deliberately disobeyed me this afternoon and when I chastised him about it, he got all huffy like he was the innocent party." Tessa shook her head. "I don't know what gets into him sometimes. You're going to have to talk to him about his responsibilities around here. He has to pull his own weight."

Duncan frowned. "Are you sure it was deliberate, Tessa? Maybe Richie didn't understand what you asked him to do."

"Are you questioning me, too?" Tessa bit back. "I don't appreciate being called a liar."

"Tessa, I think you're over-reacting a bit," Duncan replied. "I'm not calling you a liar-it's just that I feel there must've been a good explanation for Richie to run out on his duties."

"The only excuse Richie needs is a pretty face, and you know it," Tessa snapped back. "I might have known you men would stick together." She didn't give him a chance to reply-she just stalked from the room.

Duncan watched her go, trying to figure out what had just happened. With a sigh, he went to the office and pulled out the bookwork. He would give Tessa time to calm down before he tried to get more details. And when Richie got home, they'd have a little chat, too.

* HL * HL

Duncan sighed as he looked at the clock. Almost 10:00 and still no sign of Richie. He could have sworn they were past this phase of worrying whether something they did or said would send the youth fleeing. He didn't want to hunt the teenager down and drag him back like some escapee from a prison. Richie had to want to stay.

The evening had been very quiet. Tessa had disappeared to the catwalk where her drafting board was. Duncan knew better than to disturb her there. It was one of those unwritten rules.

The sound of the back door opening interrupted his thoughts and, a moment later, Duncan felt the light touch of a pre-Immortal. A wave of relief washed through him now that Richie had come home. Still, he'd have to be careful how he questioned the teenager-he didn't want to chase him off again.

Richie came into the living room and plopped down on a chair. "Tessa still mad?"

Duncan shrugged. "I don't know. She's been in her workshop all night."

Richie sighed. "She's still mad."

"Do you want to tell me why she's mad?"

The teenager threw him a startled look. "I figured she would have told you already."

"Well, she did mention something about you disobeying her and shirking your responsibilities. Maybe you'd like to fill in a few details."

Richie looked away. "Why bother. You'll just take her side."

"That's not true, Richie," Duncan protested. "I'd like to think I could form an unbiased opinion on my own."

"Yeah, right," Richie responded in a cynical tone.

A female voice intruded on their conversation. "If it wouldn't be too much of an *inconvenience*, Richie, the trash needs to be taken out. I do believe that's one of your duties here-or do you expect me to do that for you as well."

Duncan almost shivered at the icy tone of the Frenchwoman. He watched as Richie's face turned red and he waited for the explosion. Much to his surprise, none came. The teenager just climbed to his feet and headed for the workshop.

"Was that really necessary, Tessa? Whatever Richie did, you have no call to be so... so... nasty to him."

"You don't understand, Duncan!"

"Then explain it to me."

"You know I've been working on that sculpture for the mayor?" When Duncan nodded, she continued. "I needed a marble base for it, and I spent weeks looking for just the right color. I finally found it and they were supposed to deliver it today-which would have given me just enough time to finish it before my deadline."

"I understand that," Duncan replied. "So, what's the problem?"

"I got a call this morning, out of the blue, from a gallery owner here in Seacouver. He wants to have a show featuring my works!"

"That's wonderful, Tessa! I'm so happy for you." Duncan went over and gave her a big hug.

"Well, anyway, the owner wanted to meet today to iron out all the details, so I asked Richie to wait for my delivery. But the minute my back was turned, he closed down the shop and left. I don't think that was too much to expect from him."

Duncan frowned. "I guess not. Did he tell you why he left?"

"I had things to do," Richie butted in from the door leading to the workshop. "It's obvious where I stand around here. I'm not supposed to have a life! Richie, do this. Richie, do that. And when I don't bend over backwards and change *my* plans, I'm being selfish! I knew you would take her side!"

"I'm not taking sides here, Richie," Duncan protested. "But this delivery was very important to Tessa-would it have hurt to stay here this afternoon?"

"See! You just assume that anything I do can't be important! Well, you're wrong! I've learned my lesson-next time you give me a day off, I'm going to get out of here right away. No more Mr. Nice Guy! That way you can't rope me into doing your dirty work." Richie stormed through the living room and went into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"He's got a point, Tessa," Duncan said. "What would you have done if Richie hadn't stuck around to help this morning?"

Tessa floundered for a moment. "But he was here, Duncan..."

"So you dumped on him?"

"That's not how it was..." Tessa said, her voice rising slightly. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"I'm not taking any sides," Duncan explained again. "I can see both sides of the issue here. You took advantage of Richie today and then got mad when he didn't cooperate."

"But it's not the same thing. My career is on the line here-Richie's isn't," Tessa protested.

"Richie must have felt that whatever he had to do was important, too." Duncan held up a hand when Tessa tried to interrupt. "*We* may not have considered it important, but, to him, it could have seemed that way. He's only 18, Tessa. He has a different criteria for what is important."

"Ooooh, talking to you is impossible!" Tessa stormed. "I'm going to bed!" She hurried down the hall towards their bedroom.

Duncan flinched when the sound of another slamming door reached his ears. He decided to wait for a while before following her. In the mood she was in, she'd probably demand he sleep on the couch.

* HL * HL

Tessa sat at her dressing table and angrily pulled the brush through her hair. Today should have been one of the most exciting days in her life. She had been so thrilled when she'd received the call from the gallery and had rushed off to meet with the owner. She'd been given a tour of the gallery itself and then been wined and dined while they discussed details. When they arrived back at the gallery, she'd been introduced to several prominent local people who could help promote her art.

All-in-all, it had been a very satisfying afternoon. On the drive home, she had worked out details in her mind of how long it would take to get ready for the show as well as finish her current project for the mayor.

Richie's bombshell had ruined all her planning. She frowned into her mirror as she wondered if maybe she had been too harsh on the young man. He *had* been promised the day off. Still, he should have stayed-he should have realized how important that delivery was.

She couldn't think of anything Richie could have planned that would have been as important as the delivery was. She was still convinced he had a 'hot date', as he called them, and had allowed his hormones to once again override his common sense. Time and time again, a pretty girl would smile at him and he would follow her right into trouble.

Like Felicia. Or Nikki.

It was definitely time for Richie to start acting like a responsible, mature person.

Especially, if he wanted to continue living and working here.

Satisfied that she had been correct in chastising Richie, Tessa climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around her. She would let her displeasure with Richie's activities show by presenting a cool attitude. That always brought him around with an apology. It would work again this time-it always worked.

* HL * HL

Duncan watched Richie and Tessa act like polite strangers across the breakfast table. Neither one of them talked directly to the other. He couldn't remember a more uncomfortable meal, but he didn't know what to do about it. He didn't want to choose sides. For now, he decided to let things ride. Hopefully, they would both get over this by dinner time.

Unfortunately, things didn't get better. Tessa stayed in her workshop all day, busy planning which pieces of her art would be in the gallery showing. Richie helped out in the shop, staying clear of the Frenchwoman whenever possible.

By dinner time, Duncan decided arbitration was called for. Once the meal was over, he started the discussion.

"This has gone far enough," the Scot declared. "We're going to discuss this like adults and work out a resolution to this problem."

"There's nothing to discuss," Tessa replied calmly, "unless Richie would like to apologize?" She looked at the teenager expectantly.

"Apologize? I don't have anything to apologize for!" Richie stormed. "*I* didn't do anything wrong. If you wanted that stupid marble for your stupid art, you should have stayed here yourself!"

"*Stupid*!" Tessa almost screamed. "How dare you call my art stupid!"

"It's stupid... and it's ugly!" Richie yelled back. "I'm surprised anyone buys it."

"That's enough!" Duncan said, raising his own voice.

"You're right, Duncan," Tessa claimed as she glared at the teenager. "I don't need to sit here and be insulted like this. I'll be in my workshop," she said, rising to her feet before stalking out of the room.

Duncan sighed. So much for arbitration. He turned back to the teenager. "Richie, those comments about Tessa's art were really uncalled for."

Embarrassment filled the teenager's face. "I'm sorry, Mac. It's just... sometimes she makes me so mad!"

"I think you owe her an apology-don't you?"

Richie turned startled eyes to the Scot. "But... but... Yes, Mac," he finally muttered, bowing his head down and staring at his plate.

"Richie, when you left yesterday, did you understand how important it was that Tessa got that shipment?"

"Not really," Richie replied, more calmly.

"So, if Tessa had explained it better, would you have stayed yesterday?"

Richie kept silent for a long time, as he continue to stare at his empty dinner plate. "No," he finally mumbled, before rising to his feet and fleeing the kitchen.

Duncan stared at the empty seat in amazement. That hadn't been the response he'd expected. He was even more convinced now that Richie really did have something important he had to do yesterday. He just didn't have a clue as to what it was.

The only thing he knew was that the apartment had turned into a war zone and he was right in the middle.

* HL * HL

It didn't seem possible, but things got worse the next morning. Richie emerged from his room, took one look at Tessa sitting at the dining room table, then grabbed an apple from the refrigerator and headed for the store.

Duncan waited for Tessa to call him back to eat a proper meal-her normal response when Richie snacked-but she didn't say a word. He carried the pan of scrambled eggs he had just cooked over to the table and spooned out portions for the two of them-leaving enough for Richie to eat later.

He had just taken his seat when Richie came back into the kitchen. The teenager walked over to the table and stood opposite Tessa.

"I'm sorry I called your art stupid and ugly," Richie stated flatly, fixing his eyes on a point several inches above Tessa's head.

"Apology accepted," Tessa replied coolly, before turning her attention to her food.

Duncan watched as a hurt expression crossed Richie's face and he almost said something to Tessa. "There's plenty of eggs on the stove," he offered instead.

"I'm not hungry," Richie replied. "I'll be in the store." He turned and left the room.

"How much longer is this going to go on?" Duncan asked Tessa as he picked up his fork.

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked with an innocent look on her face. "I didn't do or say anything wrong."

Duncan's eyes narrowed for a moment. "Fine. You go right on believing that, Tessa," he said before turning his attention to his breakfast.

* HL * HL

Throughout the day, Duncan watched a subdued Richie as he helped customers. He was having a tough time not taking sides in the battle-and right now it was Richie who would have gotten his backing. Hopefully, his plan to ease the tensions around here would work. He glanced at the clock-almost closing. Soon, he would find out.

Duncan continued his bookwork, listening to the sounds of Richie straightening the shop in preparation for closing on one side, and Tessa's movements in her workshop on the other. He could almost forget they were fighting as long as they stayed apart.

He heard a truck pull up outside the back door, and jumped up from his desk chair with a grin. He hurried across the workshop and opened the big overhead door. A few minutes later, two workmen were wheeling in a large crate.

Tessa put down her welding torch and came over to see what was being delivered. A moment later, Richie's head popped through the office door to see what was going on. Duncan mentally rubbed his hands in glee while he signed the delivery invoice and closed the overhead door once the men had departed.

"We weren't expecting any shipments today," Tessa said with a frown.

"I know. I made a phone call this morning," Duncan replied as he started opening the crate. A moment later, the marble base Tessa had ordered came into view.

A bright smile filled Tessa's face and she flung herself into Duncan's arms. "Thank you, Duncan," she said. "I don't know how you did it. I've tried to get them to deliver more often, but I've never been able to get them to do it."

Duncan hugged her tightly. "Everyone has their price," he said lightly.

Tessa pulled back. "You mean you *paid* them to deliver today? Oh, Duncan, that's not right. It wasn't *your* fault they couldn't deliver when they were supposed to."

"I suppose that means you think *I* should pay for it," Richie burst in. "Fine! Just tell me how much I owe you, Mac. I've got a little money saved up and if it's not enough, you can take it out of my salary. Maybe that way Tessa will be happy."

The teenager strode over to the back door and was gone before Duncan could clarify his statement. He turned back to Tessa and glared at her. "Are you happy now? For your information, I didn't *pay* them anything. I just told them how upset the mayor would be if his sculpture wasn't done on time and how much business they might lose if the word got out."

Chagrin crossed Tessa's face. "Oh. I'm sorry, Duncan."

"You're saying that to the wrong person," Duncan replied. "It's time we had a little chat about your behavior the past few days."

"You make me sound like a child," Tessa protested.

"That's exactly how you've been acting," Duncan insisted. "You've been dumping on Richie for no good reason-starting with asking him to cancel his plans. He does his fair share around here. We gave him the day off. You should have honored that."

"I wasn't asking for much-just a little bit of his time."

"What if it had been me? What if you had asked me to stay and watch the shop and I had said no? That I had other plans? Would you have gotten mad at me?"

"Of course not, Duncan," she replied.

"Then why are you so mad at Richie?"

"It's not the same..."

"Yes, it is, Tessa. Sometimes, I think we take advantage of Richie's good nature. I know he's canceled plans a lot of times so he could cover the shop for one of us. Whatever Richie had to do-it must have been important."

Tessa remained quiet for a long time. "You're right, Duncan. It's just hard to imagine what it could have been."

"I know, but I think we have to trust him on this. Will you apologize to him?" Duncan asked.

"Yes, I will," Tessa agreed. "I guess I've been pretty upset haven't I? I think I owe you an apology, too."

Duncan reached for her hand. "You can make it up to me, tonight," he suggested with a leer.

Tessa wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "That's just a little preview of my apology," she said when she had finished. "You'll get the rest later. Right now I need to get to work on the mayor's sculpture. If you see Richie, let me know so I can apologize to him."

* HL * HL

Tessa turned off the torch with a sigh. The mayor's sculpture was almost done, but the rest could wait until morning. Deciding she could use a little fresh air, she walked out to the alley. There she found Richie sitting in the passenger seat of the T-bird, staring up at the stars.

"Hello, Richie," she said softly, trying not to startle him.

The teenager didn't turn to look at her, he just sighed. "I'm sorry, I guess I should have stayed here the other day. I didn't mean to cause you trouble."

Tessa looked up at the sky for a moment before returning her gaze to the teenager. "I know you didn't, Richie. I was wrong to expect you to change your plans at the last minute. And I was getting upset over something relatively minor. I'm sorry-I shouldn't have yelled at you like that."

"Your art isn't minor," Richie protested. "Years from now, your art will still be making people happy. You're leaving behind something to tell the world you were here. Not like me."

Tessa wanted to cry at the sadness in his voice. "That's not true, Richie, you're leaving your mark on this world. It might not be as obvious as a piece of art, but it's there. Besides, you're still young, you have plenty of time. Who knows what will happen."

Richie shrugged, but didn't say anything. Tessa searched for words to break the silence. "I really am sorry for yelling at you, Richie. Do you forgive me?" she finally asked.

"Yeah, Tessa, and I'm sorry, too. I should have stayed here. I shouldn't have yelled back at you. I'd go talk to the mayor and tell him it was all my fault, but I don't think he would see me." "No, Richie, it wasn't your fault. You were right-I could have come home sooner or asked the gallery owner to meet me here. It's my own fault and, next time, I'll try to ask instead of order. Now, why don't you come back inside? It's a little chilly out here. We'll have Duncan start a fire-wouldn't that be nice?"

"You go ahead, Tessa," Richie replied. "I'll be in soon."

Tessa turned and headed for the door. She stopped and look back before going inside. Richie had slumped further down on the car seat and was staring at the stars again. There was just enough light in the alley to see the melancholy look on the teenager's face. For a moment, she wanted to go to him and hug him tightly, but she fought back the urge. For some reason, she felt the need to earn the right to do that again.

* HL * HL

Richie continued to stare up at the evening sky for a long time after Tessa had gone back inside. He couldn't seem to shake the depressed mood he was in. By all rights, he should have been in a great mood. Tessa had apologized to him which meant the fighting was over. Things could get back to normal.

Except for one thing. He felt like he had a sword hovering over his head. And it would probably only get worse until he got his test results back. Not that he had any doubts about what the outcome would be. After all, Richie Ryan was born a loser and would probably die a loser.

A part of him wanted to tell Duncan and Tessa about the test. He knew they would be supportive, and help him through this. However, he didn't think he could stand to see the pity in their eyes when the results came back. They would act like it didn't matter, but deep down inside them, he knew it would.

Richie sighed as he finally climbed out of the T-bird. For now, he'd keep his secret. He would decide what to do when he knew the results. Maybe things would turn out better than he hoped.

* HL * HL

Duncan hummed to himself as he fixed breakfast the next day. Tessa had been quite enthusiastic last night as she apologized for her bad mood over the past several days. Hopefully, things would get back to normal now that she'd also apologized to Richie, as well.

"Morning, Rich," he called out as the teenager stumbled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed. "What's the matter?" he asked when he got a growl in return. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Richie shook his head as he headed for the coffee pot.

"Is there something wrong?" Duncan asked, worry creeping into his tone.

"Nah. Just had some things on my mind," Richie replied. He slumped down into his chair and rested his head on one hand while he sipped his coffee between yawns.

Tessa breezed in a few minutes later. "Good morning," she said cheerfully, coming over to wrap her arms around Duncan from behind.

He twisted around and gave her a quick kiss. "Morning, Tess."

She gave him a quick squeeze then went over to the table. "Good morning, Richie," she said, a slight hesitation in her voice.

"Morning," Richie mumbled.

Duncan quickly served up breakfast, not wanting to give them a chance to renew their fighting. The meal was very quiet, Richie didn't say much and the Scot couldn't decide if he was just tired or if he was still upset about his fight with Tessa. He vowed to corner the youth later and have a little chat with him.

The Highlander never got a chance. The shop was exceptionally busy all day long. Richie still seemed subdued, barely smiling as he waited on customers. Duncan grew more concerned as the day continued. Tessa kept popping in to check on them and he could tell she was upset about the teenager's attitude, as well.

Duncan and Tessa managed a few minutes to discuss it while they were eating lunch. Richie had volunteered to watch the shop while they ate.

"I can't believe I did this," Tessa said, regret in her voice. "Richie must hate me and I don't blame him."

"I'm sure he doesn't, Tessa," Duncan protested. "There's got to be more to this. One of us should have a talk with him and try to find out what the problem is."

"It had better be you, Duncan," Tessa said, frowning. "I doubt he'll tell me anything."

Duncan lightly patted her hand. "I'll find out what it is," he promised.

* HL * HL

Duncan almost cheered when there was finally a lull in the customers determined to shop in their store. He looked over at Richie, who was busy rearranging a display case.

"You've been awfully quiet today, Richie," Duncan said nonchalantly. "Is there something wrong?"

Richie looked up, startled, before quickly averting his gaze again. "No. Everything's fine, Mac."

"You're not still mad at Tessa, are you?"

Richie shook his head. "No. We straightened that out last night."

"Good." Duncan paused as he tried to figure out what to ask next. It was hard to believe that Richie could be so tight-mouthed at times. He fought back the frustration building inside him. It wouldn't help matters any. "You know if you have any problems, I'm more than willing to help in any way I can," he offered.

Richie looked up again. "I know, Mac... It's just... I... There's nothing wrong," he finally got out before bending back to his task.

Duncan clenched his hands tightly for a moment. A part of him wanted to go over and shake Richie until he got some answers. He decided to try another approach. "So, do you have any plans for tonight? Another hot date, maybe?"

Richie shook his head. "Nope. Nothing planned at all."

"What?" Duncan asked in a teasing voice. "What's it been? Four nights now with no date? What happened? Did all the girls in Seacouver wise up, or something?"

"You were the one who suggested I cut back," Richie replied. "See, I can follow your advice once in a while."

"Well, I didn't mean you had to do it cold turkey," Duncan protested.

"I'll survive," Richie replied as he closed up the cabinet.

Before Duncan had a chance to follow up, the door opened and more customers walked in.

* HL * HL

Richie seemed more animated at dinnertime, but Duncan could tell it was forced. By the glances Tessa kept shooting him, he knew she didn't believe it either.

Tessa's face suddenly lit up with a smile. "Richie, I think we owe you a day off," she said. "It's only fair after you gave up part of your last day off and the way I accused you of being irresponsible. I can help Duncan if the shop gets too busy."

"But, Tessa," Richie protested, "you need to work on your gallery showing. You don't have time to waste working in the shop!"

"I'll manage, Richie. I'm not going to let my commitments interfere with your life again."

Richie's face took on a stubborn look. "I'm not taking the day off," he insisted. "It's not like I have any plans or anything like that."

Tessa looked like she was going to argue, so Duncan nudged her under the table. When she glanced at him, he shook his head just enough so she'd get the message.

"Very well, Richie. Thank you for being so considerate. But we still owe you a day off. Just let us know when you want to take it."

"Okay," Richie replied, a more natural smile filling his face. "What's for dessert?"

* HL * HL

Richie seemed in a better mood the next morning. The shop wasn't as busy as the day before, either. So when Duncan got a phone call from a valued customer asking for a set of brass candlesticks to be delivered, he quickly agreed. After carefully wrapping the items, he asked the teenager to deliver them. Since the address was across town, it would take a while, but the sun was shining, and he knew Richie would enjoy the ride on his motorcycle.

The young man hadn't been gone more than ten minutes when Duncan heard the phone ring. He let Tessa answer it since he was waiting on a customer. After ringing up the sale, he went into the office to find out if it was anything important.

He found Tessa staring at the receiver, still held in her hand, a shocked look on her face. "What's wrong, Tessa?" he asked quickly.

The Frenchwoman looked up at him. "That was a Dr. Kellen. Oh, Duncan, he wants Richie to call back to discuss his test results!"

"Test results? What kind of test results?" Duncan asked, alarm growing inside him.

"He wouldn't say. He said it was personal. What if Richie is sick, Duncan? What if it's something awful?" Tessa stood up and began pacing around the office. "It's all those girls he sees," she declared as she wrung her hands together. "He's caught some awful disease!" She turned horrified eyes to the Scot. "What if he has AIDS?"

Duncan went to Tessa and wrapped his arms around her. "Stop it, Tessa. We don't know anything is wrong, yet. Whatever it is, we'll handle it."

"I've been so mean to him," Tessa said, burying her face against the Scot's chest. "It's all my fault."

"It's not your fault," Duncan insisted. "That must have been why Richie couldn't work the other day-he was having some tests run!"

"Why didn't he tell us? I can't believe I accused him of having a date and being too ashamed to admit it! Instead, he was having tests. He must have been so nervous. I would have gone with him. He shouldn't have had to do that all alone. " Tears glittered in her eyes when she looked up at the Highlander.

He gave her a long hug before stating, "We have to be strong for him, Tessa. Save your tears for the privacy of our bedroom. You know how much he hates to see you cry."

Tessa nodded. "I'll try, Duncan. How long do you think Richie will be gone?" she asked, glancing at the clock.

"At least an hour," Duncan replied. "Go back and work. It will keep your mind off of it."

Tessa went reluctantly. He listened to the sounds of her hammering away on one of her metal sculptures. She didn't seem to be putting very much effort into it. Not that he could blame her. Right now, he wished for an influx of customers to keep him busy, as well. As if to spite him, the shop remained empty.

He couldn't keep his mind from coming up with all kinds of horrible possibilities. Cancer...chemotherapy...Richie's hair falling out. AIDS...watching Richie fade away to nothing...having to be careful so Tessa didn't catch it, too.

It seemed a lifetime before he heard the back door open and Richie call out, "I'm back!"

Duncan met the teenager in the office and Tessa followed him in from her workshop. She had one hand over her mouth like she was trying to hold in her fears.

"Tessa took a message for you, Richie. Dr. Kellen wants you to call back about your test results," Duncan said, striving to keep calm.

Richie turned so pale, the Scot thought he might pass out. The next moment, his face filled with color. "Ummm... Did he say anything else?" the young man asked.

Duncan shook his head. "No, that's it. What kind of tests did you have?"

"Ummm... I'll tell you later. I'd better give him a call," Richie said. "I'll use the phone in the apartment." He spun around and flew out of the office.

Duncan and Tessa exchanged glances before turning to look at the phone. The Immortal was sorely tempted to eavesdrop on the conversation, but settled for pulling the Frenchwoman into an embrace. "We'll know soon," he offered in comfort.

Time seemed to move even more slowly as they waited for Richie to come back to the office. Duncan slipped away for a moment to lock the front door and put the closed sign in the window. He didn't want any customers interrupting their discussion. He returned to the office and Tessa's embrace, trying to give and receive comfort from it.

Just when he was about to go find Richie, he heard the young man bouncing down the stairs from the kitchen. He took heart from that-it couldn't be so bad after all. Richie burst into the office with a wide grin splitting his face.

"I passed! I passed!" he blurted out. "I can't believe it! I passed!"

"Passed what?" Duncan asked, thoroughly confused. Since when did you pass medical tests?

"I took my final GED test the other day and I passed!" Richie did a little dance. "I'm a high school graduate now!"

It finally sank in that it wasn't a medical test Richie had taken after all. Tessa pulled out of Duncan's arms and went over to the jubilant youth.

"So, you're not sick?" she asked, examining him closely. When he shook his head, she said, "Thank God," and enveloped him in a hug. Finally, she released him. "Do you have any idea of the kind of worry you've just put us through? Don't you ever do that again!" she scolded.

The smile faded from Richie's face and he turned questioning eyes to Duncan.

"When we got the call from a *doctor*... well, we imagined the worst. We've both been worried, wondering what kind of medical tests you had needed that you hadn't told us about."

Richie's face cleared up. "Oh... I guess that must have been a shock to you. I didn't want to tell you about the GED test in case I failed. Dr. Kellen was the guy who taught the class that prepared us for the test. He also gave the test. Normally, you have to wait until you get the results in the mail, but he was nice enough to call everyone to let them know if they passed or failed." He turned to Tessa. "I'm sorry you were worried."

"As long as you're not sick, Richie-that's the important thing. I am so proud of you!" She kissed his cheek before backing away.

"Thanks, Tessa," Richie said, smiling brightly.

"I'm proud of you, too," Duncan said as he enveloped the youth into a bear hug. "Let me guess... all those hot dates were when you were taking the class, right?"

"Well, some of them. Plus a group of us got together to study. I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want you to be ashamed of me if I failed."

"We wouldn't have been ashamed," Tessa replied. "We could have helped you study," she lightly chastised him. "But I thought you graduated from high school?"

Richie shook his head and stared down at his feet. "I ran away from my last foster home and moved out on the streets after my junior year. I was afraid if I went back to school, they'd send me back to that home."

"Well, now you are a graduate!" Tessa said. "I think this calls for a celebration-don't you, Duncan?"

"Absolutely. Why don't you go make reservations at Fiorni's? I need to go open the shop back up."

Duncan headed back out to the front door, feeling much more light-hearted this time. A sudden thought crossed his mind and he turned back to look at Richie.

"Hey, Richie, if you didn't have your high school diploma, how did you ever get a job selling cars?"

A panicked look crossed the teenager's face. "Ummm... ummmm... I lied on my application," he finally admitted.

Duncan just shook his head in bemusement, before turning back to unlock the door. He was going to have a very long chat with Richie about that... but it could wait. They had the time.

The end.


End file.
